The 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee class is here.
Seven of the 10 modern-era nominees for the 2024 class return for the 2025 class, with 2024 inductees Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus no longer on the ballot. Larry Phillips, who won five NASCAR Weekly Series championships from 1989 to 1996, was moved from the modern list to the pioneer ballot.
Before I get into my yearly deep dive and endorsement of the HOF class, I should explain my credentials for analyzing the Hall. I have written numerous columns before about the state of the Hall and how it functions, such as this one.
I do not have a vote myself, but I do keep track of the HOF at a very close level by keeping a spreadsheet of annual results. That can be found by clicking here.
In addition to the 15 nominees, there were also five candidates for the Landmark Award revealed. I’m not that impressed with the five candidates this year; none of them really jump off the page like previous winners Jim France, Janet Guthrie and Mike Helton did.
If I had to choose one to endorse, it would be Dr. Dean Sicking, who is credited with creating the SAFER barrier. The reality is that soft walls had already existed or been proposed in various forms prior to SAFER becoming the standard, but Sicking refined the concept and made it practical for both NASCAR and INDYCAR. The result has been numerous lives affected over the years — at most saved and at least dramatically improved by not wrecking into concrete walls as often.
The Pioneer Ballot
Before getting into this, it should be mentioned that it is completely ridiculous at this point that the Pioneer nominators just refuse to nominate Smokey Yunick.
Even if you agree with NHOF President Winston Kelley up there, and not many seem to, that’s perfectly fine. Nominate Yunick anyway.
If Yunick wouldn’t get support by being on the ballot, that’s fine. The nominators just removed both AJ Foyt and Sam Ard from the 2025 ballot after being nominated in 2024, in part due to lack of support at the ballot box. Or one of the names Kelley mentioned, Jake Elder, who was taken off after the 2021 class and hasn’t been on the ballot since.
Let the voters decide if Yunick wasn’t historically significant enough for the Hall of Fame….
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